Photo: Taylorj661 · Public domain653 homes sold in San Marcos in the last year, at a typical $921K
About one sale in 3 is a condo. Below: what each kind of home sells for, what your budget buys, the best months to buy, how hard you’ll have to bid, and a shortcut to every site where San Marcos homes are listed.
Every place San Marcos homes are listed, in one stop
We don’t copy listings: the agents’ sites have the photos and the latest price changes. Set what you want once and we open each site already filtered to San Marcos.
For sale
Rent
New, land & open houses
Links open the listing sites; TownRatings isn’t paid for them and doesn’t rank one above another. Rentals and government-owned homes come from sources outside the MLS.
A quarter of San Marcos’ sales are condos, at $520K less than a house
411 houses and 139 condos sold in the year to May 2026. Houses sell faster.
typical sale · 411 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $534CA $494
- Days to sell
- 35
- Sold over asking
- 31%
- Listings with a price cut
- 31%
typical sale · 139 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $507CA $561
- Days to sell
- 43
- Sold over asking
- 26%
- Listings with a price cut
- 29%
Multi-family (2–4 units): 1 sold, typical $999K
Townhouses: 102 sold, typical $714K
Too few sales in 12 months for reliable figures.
Fewer homes sell than a decade ago, at 1.8 times the 2016 price
653 sales in the last year, against 1,224 in 2012 and a low of 537 in 2023. The typical sale went from $517K in 2016 to $921K.
Source: Redfin Data Center, MLS sales. Typical price and $/sq ft are the monthly medians, weighted by sales.
What $900K buys in San Marcos
Check a listing against what San Marcos homes sold for
Against the town’s median price per square foot over the last 12 months. A rough check: condition, lot and location within town move a price more than this can see.
Bidding wars in San Marcos are back to pre-pandemic levels, but 17% fewer homes come up for sale
We read every month of San Marcos’ home sales since 2012 so you don’t have to. Each figure covers 12 months, because a single month in a town is too few sales to mean much. Latest: the year to May 2026, 653 sales.
If you’re buying in San Marcos
- Shop in August. It brings about 94 new listings a month, close to the busiest month, with fewer bidding wars (34% over asking).
- Some room to negotiate. 31% of listings cut their price, about as many as before the pandemic.
- Bid near asking. Buyers paid 99.3% of the list price on average; 27% paid over.
- You’ll usually have time. Only 31% of homes go under contract within two weeks; the typical one takes 36 days.
Summer brings the homes; spring brings the bidding wars
June has the most new listings (about 114 a month), but April is the most competitive: 43% of April sales close over asking. July and August offer nearly as much choice with fewer homes bid up (37%). January has the least competition (27%).
Averages for each calendar month, 2015 on.
Calmer than the 2021 frenzy, and calmer than California
| San Marcos now | 2017–19 | 2021 peak | CA now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold over askingShare of sales that closed above the list price | 27% | 26% | 73% | 36% |
| Gone within two weeksShare of homes under contract within 14 days | 31% | 35% | 73% | 31% |
| Listings with a price cutShare of homes for sale that cut their price | 31% | 29% | 21% | 24% |
| Price paid vs. askingAverage sale price ÷ list price | 99.3% | 98.9% | 104.1% | 99.7% |
| Days to sellMedian days from listing to contract | 36 | 26 | 9 | 44 |
126 homes for sale on a typical day
That’s 2.4 times the 2023 low (53), 17% fewer than in 2017–19 and well under 2012’s 209.
1 in 3 listings has cut its price
31% in the last year, against 29% in 2017–19 and 24% across California.
Since 2019, houses are up 67%, condos 39%
A house typically sold for $1.1M in the last year (411 sales), a condo for $625K (139).
Median sale price, weighted by sales each month. Years with fewer than 4 sales of a type are left out.
San Marcos ranks 411th of 555 busy California markets for bidding wars
Share of sales over asking in the last year, among towns with 60 or more sales. San Marcos is in the middle of the pack.
Source: Redfin Data Center, city market tracker, January 2012 to May 2026 (MLS sales, not seasonally adjusted). Ratios are weighted by homes sold; price cuts by homes for sale.
Owning the typical San Marcos home costs about $5,390 a month
Price: San Marcos’ typical sale, last 12 months. Property tax at San Marcos’ 0.8% (median bill ÷ median value, Census ACS); insurance at 0.35% of price a year. Before PMI, HOA dues, upkeep and the tax deduction. Whether San Marcos is affordable on local pay is on Cost of living.
Six things worth knowing
New listings in June
The month with the most choice. December has the fewest, about 40.
Best time to buyProperty tax, a year
Of a home’s value: the median bill over the median home value. On a $921K home, about $7,010 a year.
Taxes vs. neighborsSchools
The schools grade for San Marcos, from test results, graduation and how much students grow.
Schools in San MarcosTypical commute
The average one-way trip to work for people who live in San Marcos.
Work & commuteCheck the flood map
Flood insurance isn’t in a standard policy, and lenders require it in FEMA flood zones. Check the address before you make an offer.
Natural hazardsLook up any property
Assessed value, lot size and every past sale of a home you’re eyeing are public, at the town or county assessor and the registry of deeds.
Vista, Escondido and Hidden Meadows sell for less a square foot; Carlsbad and Rancho Santa Fe for far more
The busier markets within 25 miles of San Marcos, by what sold. Prices, taxes and how far a paycheck goes next door are on Cost of living.
| Sold | Typical sale | $/sq ft | Over asking | Days to sell | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carlsbad | 1,155 | $1.5M | $712 | 26% | 34 |
| Escondido | 988 | $813K | $478 | 36% | 36 |
| San Marcos | 653 | $921K | $521 | 27% | 36 |
| Vista | 549 | $868K | $504 | 33% | 36 |
| Lake San Marcos | 159 | $974K | $610 | 19% | 43 |
| Rancho Santa Fe | 66 | $4.7M | $1,117 | 9% | 94 |
| Hidden Meadows | 43 | $1M | $438 | 19% | 49 |
Redfin Data Center, June 2025 to May 2026. Towns with fewer than 20 sales are left out, and Redfin doesn’t report every town separately.
Post your home to San Marcos, free
Selling it yourself, renting out an apartment or looking for a roommate? Post it to San Marcos. People who follow the town see it, and so do people comparing San Marcos with their own town. No commission, no listing fee.
Questions about buying a home in San Marcos
What do homes sell for in San Marcos, CA?
653 homes sold in the year to May 2026 at a typical $921K, $521 a square foot. Houses sold for about $1.1M, condos for about $625K.
Is San Marcos a buyer’s or seller’s market?
A seller’s market: 133 homes were for sale in May 2026 and 58 sold, about 2.3 months of supply. Buyers paid 99.3% of asking on average, and 31% of listings cut their price.
When is the best time to buy in San Marcos?
June brings the most new listings. The sales history shows which months have fewer bidding wars.
How much are property taxes in San Marcos?
About 0.8% of a home’s value a year. On a $921K home that’s near $7,010.
Where can I see homes for sale in San Marcos?
Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com all carry San Marcos’ MLS listings; the search links above open each one filtered to San Marcos.
Sales, prices, days on market and listings: Redfin Data Center (MLS, monthly, not seasonally adjusted). Property tax rate: Census American Community Survey. Two-bedroom rent: HUD Fair Market Rent. Typical home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Schools grade: TownRatings (how grades work).